We have already stated that according to the law, fines are imposed "by the own authority" of the managers of the factory or works. Regarding complaints against their orders, the law states: "The orders of the factory or works manager concerning the imposition of penalties on workers are not subject to appeal. But if, upon inspection of the factory or works by factory inspectorate officials, it is discovered from statements made by workers that penalties have been imposed on them in violation of the requirements of the law, then the manager is held accountable." – This regulation, as you can see, is very unclear and contradictory: on the one hand, workers are told that they cannot complain about the imposition of a fine. But on the other hand, it is said that workers can "report" to the inspector about fines imposed "in violation of the law." "To report a violation of law" and "to complain about a violation of law" – a person unfamiliar with Russian laws would ask: what is the difference? There is no difference, but the purpose of this libelous legal provision is very clear: the law wished to restrict the worker's right to complain to employers about unjust and unlawful imposition of fines. Now, if some worker complains to an inspector about an unlawful fine, the inspector can reply to him: "The law does not permit complaints about the imposition of fines." – How many workers will be found who are familiar with this cunning law and able to answer: "I am not complaining, I am merely reporting"? – Inspectors are appointed precisely in order to oversee the observance of laws concerning the relations of workers to employers. Inspectors are obliged to accept all reports about non-compliance with the law. An inspector must, as a rule (see the "Instruction to Factory Inspectorate Officials" {22} approved by the Minister of Finance), have reception days—at least one per week—for verbal explanations with persons who have need of them, and notices of these days must be posted at each factory. – Thus, if workers know the law and firmly resolve not to permit any violations of it, – then the cunning nature of the law just cited will prove futile, and workers will be able to achieve compliance with the law. – Do they have the right to recover the fined money if it was exacted unlawfully? Reasoning by common sense, of course, one should answer: yes. One cannot permit a manufacturer to fine a worker unlawfully and not return the illegally withheld money. But it turns out that, during the discussion of this law in the State Council, it was deliberately decided to pass over this in silence. Members of the State Council found that granting workers the right to demand back unlawfully exacted money would "weaken in the eyes of workers that significance which is intended to be conferred upon the factory manager, for the purpose of maintaining order among the workers." Here is how statesmen judge workers! If a manufacturer unlawfully exacts money from a worker, then the worker should not be given the right to demand it back. Why then take away the worker's money? – Because complaints would "weaken the significance of the managers"! That means that "the significance of the managers" and "the maintenance of order at factories" rest solely on the fact that workers do not know their rights and "do not dare" to complain against their superiors, even when the latter violate the law! That means that statesmen are directly afraid lest workers should think of monitoring the proper imposition of fines! Workers ought to thank the members of the State Council for their candor, which shows workers what they can expect from the government. Workers ought to show that they consider themselves to be the same kind of people as manufacturers and do not intend to permit themselves to be treated like dumb beasts. Therefore, workers must make it their duty not to leave unprotested a single case of unlawful imposition of a fine, to present without fail a demand for the return of money – either to the inspector, or, in case of his refusal, to the court. – Even if workers achieve nothing from inspectors or from the court, – still their efforts will not be in vain: they will open workers' eyes, will show them how our laws regard the rights of workers.

So, we now know that fines are imposed "by the own authority" of the managers. – But at each factory there may be different amounts of fines (since the law indicates only the limit above which one cannot impose a fine), and there may be different rules of internal order. Therefore, the law requires that all violations subject to fines, and the amount of the fine for each violation, be specified beforehand in a schedule of penalties. This schedule is compiled by each manufacturer and works owner separately and approved by the factory inspector. It must be posted, according to the law, in each workshop.

In order to be able to monitor whether fines are imposed correctly and how many are imposed, it is necessary that all fines without exception be properly recorded. The law requires that fines be recorded "no later than three days from the time of imposition" in the worker's paybook. This entry must indicate, first, the reason for the penalty (that is, for what the worker was fined – for defective work and what kind, for absenteeism or for violation of order and what kind), and second, the amount of the penalty. – The recording of fines in the paybook is necessary so that workers can verify the correctness of the fine imposed and timely lodge a complaint in case of any illegality. Furthermore, all fines must be recorded in a special bound ledger, which must be kept at each factory or works for verification of fines by the inspectorate.

On this matter, it may perhaps be worthwhile to say a few words about complaints against manufacturers and inspectors, since workers for the most part do not know how and to whom to complain. – According to the law, complaints about any violations of the law at a factory or works should be made to the factory inspector. He is obliged to accept verbal and written statements of dissatisfaction. If the factory inspector does not heed the request, then one can appeal to the senior inspector, who is also obliged to have reception days for hearing statements. – Moreover, the office of the senior inspector must be open daily for persons in need of information or clarification or to make statements (see "Instruction to Factory Inspectorate Officials," Article 18). An appeal against an inspector's decision can be made to the Provincial Board for Factory Affairs [12]. A one-month deadline, counted from the day the inspector announces his order, is established by law for such complaints. Further, against the decisions of the Factory Board, within the same period, one can appeal to the Minister of Finance.

As you see, very many persons are indicated in the law to whom one can complain. And moreover, both a manufacturer and a worker have equal right to complain. The trouble is only that this protection remains merely on paper. A manufacturer has full opportunity to lodge complaints – he has free time, he has means to hire a lawyer, etc., and therefore manufacturers do indeed lodge complaints against inspectors, reach the Minister, and have already obtained various privileges. But for a worker, this right to lodge complaints is merely words, having no significance whatsoever. First of all, he has no time to go around to inspectors and offices! He works, and for "absenteeism" he is fined. He has no money to hire a lawyer. He does not know the laws and therefore cannot insist on his right. And the authorities not only do not care that workers know the laws, but, on the contrary, try to hide them from workers. To those who will not believe this, we offer the following rule from the "Instruction to Factory Inspectorate Officials" (this instruction is approved by the Minister and clarifies the rights and duties of factory inspectors): "All explanations to the owner of an industrial establishment or its manager concerning violations of law that have been permitted and mandatory provisions issued in its development are given by the factory inspector only in the absence of workers" [13]. There you have it. If a manufacturer violates the law, the inspector does not dare tell him about it in front of workers: the Minister forbids it! And otherwise, perhaps workers would actually learn the law and want to demand its enforcement! Not for nothing did the *Moskovskiye Vedomosti* write that this would be nothing but "depravity"!

Every worker knows that complaints, especially against an inspector, are almost entirely inaccessible to them. Of course, we do not wish to say that workers should not lodge complaints: on the contrary, always, whenever there is any possibility at all, complaints must be lodged, because only in this way will workers become acquainted with their rights and learn to understand in whose interests factory laws are written. We wish only to say that one cannot achieve any serious and general improvement in the condition of workers through complaints. For this there is only one path – for workers to unite together for the defense of their rights, for struggle against the oppression of employers, for the achievement of more tolerable wages and a shorter working day.